A Week of Firsts

Whew, it has been a crazy week (wonderful, but so busy)! Peace Corps has every Monday through Friday planned out from 8-5, then I spend about an hour and fifteen minutes walking home, and, sometimes, I have homework to do afterwards. On weekends, I have host family obligations--more on that in a bit. So, I've decided during PST (Pre-Service Training, there are a million acronyms in the Peace Corps) I'll try to update my blog every Sunday.


So here's the update...


This week has been a blur of training and absorbing Ecuadorian culture. I've been spending most of my time at the Peace Corps training center. Each day begins with a chaotic bus ride at 7:20 in the morning; when I say chaotic, I mean no maximum capacity, landscapes rushing by, a serious core and forearm workout in order to remain upright, and continued movement while trying to get off the bus. It's definitely an experience in itself. After the enthralling bus ride, the rest of the day seems rather dull. I've been attending lectures about culture, health, safety, Spanish, and technical training about environmental education and natural resources management. The two most interesting training sessions: the security briefing by a special agent from the U.S. Embassy and the intestinal illnesses talk from the extremely enthusiastic Peace Corps nurse. I'll let your imaginations dream up the contents of those chats.

My second home: the Peace Corps Training Center.

Besides training, I've been spending a lot of time with my host family. And by spending time, I basically mean eating copious amounts of food. And, I have to say, the food here is so good! I could write paragraphs about the food, but I'll limit it to just one for the first week. My favorite dish so far has been humitas--ground choclo (the type of corn here) mixed with butter, sugar and egg wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. Then, wait for it, fried in butter. Think: fried, sweet tamale. Delicious. My host mom, Rosa, and I go to the market every Sunday and stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. The markets are incredible here! For breakfast, I have fresh juice (pineapple, melon, naranjilla, mandarin, or tomate de arbol), a roll, and tea. Lunch and dinner usually consist of a combination of white rice, fried eggs, soup, vegetables, beans, lentils, and/or noodles. There's definitely an abundance of starch. On weekends, the day is basically centered around food, with lunch being the main meal of the day. Yesterday, my host family and I ate a huge lunch of soup, rice, vegetables, and beans. So, for dinner, we had tea and chocolate cake. Chocolate cake for dinner!

A fruit stand at the central market in town=delicious!

Yesterday, I had to tackle the task of washing my clothes on la piedra. (La piedra is the stone that people wash their clothes on here.) Basically, you take one piece of clothing at a time, lather it with soap and water, scrub it on the rock, let it sit for half an hour, then take that piece of clothing, douse it with water, and squeeze it until all of the water comes up. So, Rosa taught me how to wash my clothes, and two and a half hours later, I finished washing 6 shirts, 3 pairs of pants, one skirt, a handful of underwear, and a set of sheets. Where's the washing machine at? No, not really, it was actually kind of pleasant washing my clothes in the morning sunlight. I think the best part though was that my bright purple underwear was splayed out on the clothesline in front of the dining room window while we ate lunch. Not embarrassing at all, nope.

La Piedra

Success!

My host family has a garden, actually more like a small farm, in a neighboring town. Rosa and I went to see the farm and to feed the pigs yesterday. She goes to the farm everyday in the mornings. The garden is very beautiful; there's corn, potatoes, lettuce, beets, beans, and three pigs! Los chancos, pigs, are gigantic and crazy. There's also a ton of alfalfa that Rosa grows to bring back to the house to feed the cuy, guinea pigs, several of which will be eaten in a couple of weeks for her son's birthday. I've tried lots of new things this week--food and experiences--I can't wait to try more, but maybe not any cuy!

Rosa and her chanchos!

The view from my host family's garden

One of the many beautiful flowers blooming here!

Staging, Training, Spanglish, and Avocados

I'm here! I'm in Ecuador! I'm in South America! After a day of staging in Dallas, a trip to the airport at three in the morning, a layover in Miami, and a rainy arrival in Ecuador, I'm officially a Peace Corps Ecuador Trainee with Omnibus 107. There are thirty-six other trainees in my group, and everyone is wonderful. I arrived in Ecuador on Thursday night and stayed at the training center for the first two nights with my fellow trainees. Training thus far: shots, signatures, shots, safety, thirty-minute Spanish lesson, signatures. There is much more to be done in the coming eleven weeks--in fact, 8 hours a day of training! 

After two days at the training center, I moved in with my host family yesterday. Peace Corps placed me with an older couple and their older son (people here live with there parents until they get married; much different than the U.S.). They are wonderful people. The host mother, Rosa, was extremely disappointed when she found out  that I am vegetariana, but she is very nice about it. Although, she does put a small piece of chicken on my plate at every meal. Their home is surrounded by avocado and lime trees (more description further down). Today, Rosa and I went to the market in the morning to buy bananas, papaya, watermelon, melon, pears, pineapple, and claudias (small peach-like fruits=delicious); she makes fresh juice every morning. At the market, I realized she has taken to introducing me as mi gringa--maybe she forgot my name. Just kidding. As for my Spanish: it's kind of a joke. I could probably have a fantastic conversation with a two-year-old. But, my host family doesn't speak a word of English, so there is no time like the present to learn, quickly.

My room for the next 3 months.

On another note, I love to write descriptions about my surroundings, so here is a passage I wrote last night about my first day with my host family.

As I sit in my room, giant avocados droop from branches, lushly green, verde, in the Andean rain. Mist-laden mountains come in and out of focus with the passing layers of clouds. The squeak of guinea pigs, cuy, biding their time drifts through the slightly open window. Swirling scents of freshly showered leaves blend with the unnameable scent that is the Ecuadorian Sierra. Lime trees create a wall of citrus around the blue rectangular house. The chatter of Rosa returning home pulls my mind back to the present. Hola. At least I know that part. Unfamiliar words blend with slightly more familiar ones. Mercado, market, and la vuelta de bus, bus ride. Four blocks from the house, the city center of Tumbaco begins. At the market, Rosa and I play the "name that vegetable and/or fruit in Spanish" game and purchase vegetables for the gringa that doesn't eat meat. A practice bus ride follows to the Peace Corps training center. On the crowded bus, cool mountain air blows against my face as the bus jolts up a dirt road. Two little boys in striped shirts hang their heads out the window and bark relentlessly. The boys exit, and Rosa and I change buses. As the bus driver hops on the bus, he calls me guapa. Rosa won't stand for that; she asks him if he meant both of us, including her (mind you, she's a grandmother). I laugh as we head home.

Gratitude, Endings, and Beginnings

The beginning of my adventure is just hours away! Saying goodbye is always bittersweet when leaving for a new adventure, yet I must say farewell. I'm heading out on a plane for Dallas early in the morning tomorrow (Wednesday) to meet my fellow Peace Corps Trainees for our staging event (orientation). On Thursday, we'll fly as a group to Miami and then to Quito, Ecuador. I can't believe it's finally happening. Below are all of my worldly possessions for the next 27 months--it's actually sort of refreshing to only own what I can carry (sort of being the key words). I'm not sure when I'll be able to provide an update, but, until I can, I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone for your words of support and love. Each word of kindness has meant so much as I leave on this grand adventure. Hasta luego! 

"It is so much easier to live placidly and complacently. Of course, to live placidly and complacently is not to live at all." (Jack London)

"All paths lead nowhere, so it is important to choose a path that has heart." (Carlos Castaneda)

Answers (to questions you didn't even ask...)

Many (well, at least a few) people have asked questions about becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). When? Where? What? Why? How long? So, I've decided to answer some of those questions here. This way you can refer back to the answer to that pressing question you have about my volunteerism whether it's the middle of the night or when you're watching TV or while enjoying a nice cup of tea, really, whenever you want.

Wait, the Peace Corps still exists? Are you trying to save the world?
I'm not going to go into this in much detail as a result of there being many websites about the Peace Corps. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for a plethora of information, videos, and interactive features.

However, I do want to share with you the three main goals of the Peace Corps to show that I am indeed not trying to save the world:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

When and why did you apply?
During 2010, I was an AmeriCorps member in South Lake Tahoe, CA working on conservation and environmental education projects. My experience with AmeriCorps was wonderful, but I knew that I wanted to go abroad to do environmental work and be immersed in a community, so I started my Peace Corps application. Summer in Tahoe got in the way (if you've ever been there during the summer you know why--beaches, mountains, lake, rocks, etc.), so I didn't finish my application until the fall. Over a year later, I'm seeing the realization of that dream.

How do you become a Peace Corps Volunteer(PCV)? How long are you volunteering for?
For those you don't know much about the Peace Corps, here's a brief overview because I've gotten a lot of questions about the logistics of the program. When an applicant applies to the Peace Corps, she does not decide what country or what region of the world she will end up volunteering. There are different sectors of the Peace Corps: education, youth & community development, health, business and IT, agriculture, environment, and HIV/AIDS. Volunteers are placed based on their educational background, work experience, language skills, and many other factors. I had some input into my assignment, and my background clearly led to a nomination for environmental education. Also, to be placed in a Spanish-speaking country, I had to take a college placement exam since I had previously tested out of the language requirement at U of M. All volunteers commit for a full 24-months, plus 2-3 months of training, so I'll be in Ecuador for a grand total of 27 months.

Will you be doing anything in Ecuador?
Yes, yes I will. My assignment will be to work on environmental education and awareness projects within the natural resource conservation project. The natural resource conservation (NRC) project focuses on the ability of Ecuadorians to manage their natural resources so they will be available for future generations. I'll provide much more information on my assignment as I learn more...

Is Ecuador in Mexico?
I really did get this question--by the nurse at the travel clinic where I got my yellow fever vaccination. Seriously. Maybe she was having a confusing day. Anyways, I know everyone else knows that Ecuador is on the northwest coast of South America, bordered by Peru and Colombia. Ecuador is about the size of Colorado and is comprised of three main regions including the Amazon, the Andes, and the coast. Also, the Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador. It's the smallest of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. (Hopefully I'll be able to nerd out on some plant and animal identification down there!) Peace Corps started sending volunteers to Ecuador in 1962 and over 5,700 Americans have served there.

What's that quote by John F. Kennedy about the Peace Corps? (No, just kidding. No one really asked me this, but it's a good quote.)
The Peace Corps was first introduced by John F. Kennedy in 1961. Click here for more information about the history.

"Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language. But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying."

It's a Blog!

After over a year of applying and continuous waiting, I'm finally heading to Ecuador in less than two weeks with the U.S. Peace Corps! I haven't wanted to create a blog for fear of jinxing my long awaited spot as an invitee, but, with only days left, I'm finally giving in and creating one. I know nothing is certain until I touch down in Quito on January 19th. Then, realistically, everything is even more uncertain. Oh well, that's life.

I'll be using this blog to share about my life at the equator--experiences, ramblings, boring events, pictures, people, culture shocks, roasted guinea pigs, biodiversity, projects, exciting happenings, travels, living with host families, language struggles--and the blog will, of course, evolve as my adventure begins.

Internet connectivity is a huge uncertainty at this point, so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this. The quality and/or quantity of my future posts might be affected by an array of factors. Best not to worry if I don't post. While I'll make an effort--no promises!

So with that intro, I must say: Welcome to my blog, blah, blah, blah. Enjoy.